Northrop & Johnson seminar in Antibes: Insurance, Lithium Battery Safety & Financial Planning

Northrop & Johnson And Fairport Yacht Management hosted a morning seminar in Antibes bringing yacht crew and industry professionals together for three practical topics that come up on every vessel: insurance expectations, lithium battery safety and personal financial planning.

Insurance requirements, Watchkeeping and Crew Considerations

The first session was led by Hugo Jacquot, Founder and Owner of Fort Insurance. He walked through the watchkeeping plans insurers are comfortable with, the common gaps that can affect coverage and why day-to-day operational habits matter more than people sometimes realize. The session also covered chase boat operations including captain requirements, usage and how those details can influence insurance terms and risk assessment.

A discussion was also raised around social security contributions: when these have been paid for, they remain the crewmember’s entitlement and shouldn’t be forgotten or lost when moving between yachts.

Lithium Battery Storage and Fire Safety

Session two, led by Kurt Guttridge, Director of NAS (Naval Architectural Services) and Flag Surveyor for Transport Malta, focused on lithium battery storage and fire safety. The talk referenced the IMO’s IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 and explained in simple terms what changes for how lithium-ion batteries (and equipment containing them) are classified, stored and managed onboard.

The discussion then moved into how guidance and wider industry thinking is evolving around battery energy storage systems (BESS) and fire risk using recent incidents and lessons learned to ground the conversation in real-world onboard situations.

Private Pension and Financial Planning for Yacht Crew

The final session was led by Peter Brooke from The Spectrum IFA Group and looked at private pension and financial planning for yacht crew. He broke down what financial planning is, why it matters and how the process works in practice. There was also a clear focus on yachting-specific realities including the question many crew face at some point: doing everything alone versus getting support and how to weigh DIY planning against professional advice.